CERT: TBC / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: ALEEM HOSSAIN / STARRING: BRIAN SILVERMAN, CLAY WILCOX, ANSLEM RICHARDSON, ANITA LEEMAN TORRES / RELEASE DATE: TBC
Alone in some endlessly vast scrubland, a solitary traveller watches a distant rocket launch, its engines firing brightly as it soars towards the outer atmosphere. It’s the kind of striking, melancholic image that micro-budget flick After We Leave is full of. Its producers spent their crowdsourced $30,000, and many evenings and weekends, aiming to prove “that the grittiness of American indie drama can be combined with sci-fi” by blending layered character drama with some high-concept genre tropes. With a strong central conceit, excellent performances from a small ensemble cast, and a taut and intelligent script, the creators of After We Leave can make a convincing case for having delivered on that ambition.
With the world sliding towards ecological and economic catastrophe, the fortunate few have begun to leave planet Earth behind to make a new start in off-world colonies. But for the majority of the population left behind, life prospects look increasingly bleak. The only hope is the arrival of a permit from the Office of Extra-Planetary Emigration; a non-transferable ticket to the stars.
As the film opens, the troubled and brooding Jack is travelling back home to try to find the partner he walked out on six years before. He’s received a couple’s travel permit but, unless he can reunite with his ex-girlfriend Vanessa, both will miss their chance to leave the austerity, crime and chaos of the US behind.
It’s Jack’s hunt for Vanessa that drives the story forward, as he reconnects with characters and contacts from his old life, each of which stirs up old (and often uncomfortable) memories and reveals fresh obstacles that Jack must overcome if he is to find his former love.
As his journey proceeds, it becomes clear just how flawed a hero Jack is. His history of abandoned obligations and broken loyalties leave him deeply indebted to the very people he’s now seeking help from. Some soon come to question if Jack deserves to have got his hands on two priceless tickets to a better life.
Writer-director Aleem Hossain has honed a tight, slow-release storyline which his script keeps in focus throughout. Sharp editing ensures there’s no padding or superfluous side stories. There’s a confidence to the world-building and a consistency to the atmosphere of After We Leave (helped by some nicely understated but effective CGI) which many other indie flicks would do well to learn from.
As he’s in almost every scene, it’s down to Brian Silverman to carry the movie as the troubled and regretful Jack. Silverman exudes frustration, incredulity and barely contained rage (mixed with a soupçon of self-loathing) in a great performance, which helps sustain the uncertainty about how Jack’s quest will play out, right up until the poignant, satisfying finale.
